The educational services company, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, released this week a free, downloadable guidebook that highlights 322 green colleges and universities.

The guidebook has college profiles, facts, statistics, and other information on the schools’ environmentally related policies, practices and academic offerings. The book can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.

NC State is a leader in a number of sustainability areas, including research on sustainability, green buildings and engagement. Find more information on how the red and white go green: http://sustainability.ncsu.edu/.

Researchers at NC State’s FREEDM Systems Center are developing what can be called the “smarts” of the smart electrical grid — devices and networks that will one day seamlessly connect rooftop solar panels with batteries that store energy in the basements below. At the same time, electric cars will charge in millions of garages, and consumers will sell extra electricity they generate back to the power company.

Investigate what the house of the future will be like.

NC State’s groundbreaking smart grid work helped prompt the White House to choose the university to be the host for a roundtable discussion on the smart grid and energy with members of President Barack Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The session will be led by Jeffrey Immelt, chair of the council and chairman and CEO of GE. Executives from Southwest Airlines, Comcast Corp., NextEra Energy and many of the region’s leading smart grid companies are also scheduled to attend.

Session participants, including local energy experts and business leaders, will discuss ways to create jobs in the energy and smart grid industries through partnerships with academia and state and federal government agencies. The information gathered during the meeting will be shared with President Obama during the council’s Monday afternoon session in Durham.

The council meeting is another high-profile success for NC State’s smart grid research efforts. In April, a new type of transformer under development at the FREEDM Systems Center was named to MIT Technology Review’s 2011 list of the world’s 10 most important emerging technologies.

The devices, called smart solid-state transformers, represent a big step forward toward developing the smart energy grid of the future. Today’s grid, which has changed little since the days of Thomas Edison, only lets power flow in one direction — from the power company to the consumer. But as the cost of renewable energy technologies comes down and plug-in electric vehicles become more widespread, the grid will need an upgrade to handle the flood of devices that will not only consume energy, but push it back onto the grid.

The FREEDM Center’s smart transformers are built to manage power more effectively than today’s transformers. They will precisely control voltage, frequency and other electrical properties as they communicate with the rest of the grid. The devices will also help utilities incorporate lots of renewable energy into the grid with fewer blackouts or power surges.

Stephen Cass, special projects editor for the Technology Review, called the devices “a major advance for smart grids, allowing the flow of electricity to be controlled and rerouted in a manner similar to how data is routed around the Internet.”

FREEDM, which stands for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management, was formed in 2008 by a five-year, $18.5 million Engineering Research Center grant from the National Science Foundation.
The center benefits from its location in the Triangle, one of the nation’s top smart grid hubs. A recent Duke University study counted nearly 60 smart grid companies in the region. They include the power systems giant ABB, which is developing a Smart Grid Center of Excellence just down the road from FREEDM on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

With that in mind, NC State researchers – in fields ranging from wildlife ecology to meteorology to political science – briefly outline the most pressing Earth Day-relevant research questions in their respective fields.

Fred Semazzi:

Semazzi is a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences

In recent decades we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of extreme weather events throughout the world. Human activity is pushing the climate into a state of high stress that could even eventually surpass the “tipping point” of no return. To release some of the stress, climate is lashing out in form of increased extreme weather events, such as the recent record-breaking temperatures around the world; intense Atlantic hurricanes; widespread monsoon flooding in Pakistan; heat waves and wildfires in Russia; flash flooding in China; and drought followed by flash floods in Kenya and Niger. Although we can’t attribute all this to climate change it is undoubtedly “loading the dice” in favor of extreme events. There is emerging consensus that one of the leading grand challenges in climate research is to understand how climate change is altering the risk of extreme weather events. As scientists, we are using a range of methods, including high-powered computer simulation models, machine learning techniques and others to increase the understanding of the role of climate change in moderating extreme weather events and the skill of predicting them. – Semazzi is a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State and a former director of the Climate Information & Prediction Services program at the World Meteorological Organization. His research focuses on climate modeling.

Gerald A. LeBlanc:

LeBlanc is professor and head of NC State's Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology

A major challenge facing the global community is to develop an understanding of the environmental health consequences of exposure to complex chemical mixtures and the means to minimize such exposures.

By the 1970s, the nation was faced with a crisis associated with the flagrant release of toxic materials into the environment. The first Earth Day raised public awareness of the fragility of the planet and the significant threat posed by toxic materials. The federal government responded to public concern by creating the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA was charged with the responsibility of establishing limits on the levels of toxics that could be released into the environment without posing harm. Since its creation, the EPA has been highly successful in safeguarding the environment against materials that are overtly toxic to humans and wildlife. However, resolution of one problem has raised another. The environment now contains a vast array of chemicals that, individually, are present at levels that pose no harm. We are faced with the dilemma of exposure to a virtual soup of chemicals. However, the consequences of exposure to mixtures of chemicals remain largely unknown and therefore the appropriate regulatory response remains a quandary. – LeBlanc is professor and head of NC State’s Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. An internationally recognized authority on endocrine disruptors and the toxicity of chemical mixtures, LeBlanc has served as an advisor to the U.S. EPA, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the United Kingdom’s Natural Environment Research Council, among others.

Ted Simons:

Simons is a professor of biology and assistant unit leader of the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

One of the greatest challenges we face in ecology is figuring out how to scale up our research to address pressing environmental problems that are occurring at larger spatial scales. For example, our current models of species-habitat relationships are barely adequate to predict where species will occur within a single watershed. We currently lack the data and methodologies to predict and understand the uncertainty surrounding changes in biological diversity associated with large-scale patterns of pollution and climate change. Expanding our approaches to collecting and analyzing ecological data at larger spatial scales, perhaps through carefully designed citizen-science projects, holds some promise for addressing these challenges in the future. – Simons is a professor of biology at NC State and assistant unit leader of the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. His research focuses on avian ecology, wildlife biology and conservation biology.

Elizabeth Nichols:

Nichols is an associate professor of forestry and environmental resources

Sustainable restoration of degraded lands is a major research challenge. Population growth and resource demands will continue to put pressure on productive lands that produce agricultural products and sustain wildlife. Restoration of impaired lands is critical to meet future needs. – Nichols is an associate professor of forestry and environmental resources. Her research includes work on persistent organic pollutant fate in the environment, particularly soils and sediments.

Francis de los Reyes:

De los Reyes is an associate professor of civil engineering

The largest, most important, most pressing environmental problem today, in my opinion, is the crisis in water. This crisis is defined by large global inequities in access to clean water and proper sanitation. There are 2.4 million deaths per year (6,500 deaths per day) due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene. Most of the fatalities are children under age 5 in the poorest developing countries. It is unacceptable that in 2011, diarrhea kills more young children than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria; and that 39 percent (2.6 billion) and 13 percent (880 million) of the world’s population do not have access to improved sanitation and adequate water supply, respectively. The research needs include how to move away from traditional infrastructure paradigms and show that alternative technologies such as decentralized treatment are more appropriate and sustainable; and how to take into account socio-cultural factors, such as gender issues, religion, education, and policy contexts. How does society approach water supply and sanitation using effective and sustainable approaches that take into account technology, culture and cost? How do we solve the problems in urban environments, where the majority of future growth in population is expected? In the developed world, how do we replace an aging urban water infrastructure with a sustainable one? – de los Reyes is an associate professor of civil engineering at NC State. His research focuses on water resources and environmental engineering.

Bill Hunt:

Hunt is an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering

Evaluating ecosystem services produced by various landscapes, particularly putting economics behind these services, is going to change the nature of how we protect and build future land. Stormwater control measures, for example, will not just be evaluated for their ability to reduce runoff and capture pollutants, but services like carbon sequestration and heat island impact will be an active part of practice selection. The challenge, of course, will be calculating the true economic worth of ecosystem services. An all-encompassing environmental and economic evaluation will become an integral part of decision making. – Hunt is an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at NC State. His research focuses on stormwater management.

Viney Aneja:

Aneja is a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences

The United States and Western Europe have made significant advances in confronting atmospheric environmental challenges by developing the scientific and technological basis for air-quality measurements, modeling, analysis and policies for mitigation over the past few decades. However, given the global nature of environmental concerns (e.g., the global distribution of long-lived species such as Hg, CO2, and other greenhouse gases; the inter-continental transport of shorter-lived pollutants; and global climate change) the scope of these scientific advancements needs to be expanded. The rapid growth of the global economy, spurred by industrial and urban expansion, has been accompanied by environmental stresses, particularly in air quality and climate (e.g. China and India). Major air-quality studies in the U.S. have focused primarily on extra-tropical urban emissions and meteorology. Limited attention has been focused on tropical/sub-tropical regions such as South Asia which contribute significantly to the global air pollution burden.

China and India have been cited as two of the five fastest growing economies in the world, but this growth has become increasingly attended by concerns regarding its impact on the environment – in particular, the impact of air pollution on climate and human health. The explosion of vehicular traffic in both urban and rural areas, as well as the rapid transition from a predominantly agricultural to a mixed agro-industrial economy, has led to adverse environmental impacts. From the perspective of air quality science, the challenges are to accurately characterize the chemical processes in the regional environment and their response to the prevailing meteorological conditions. And to quantify the emissions from the responsible sources and their representation in current photochemical modeling applications over the tropical region. – Aneja is a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State. Aneja is an internationally recognized authority on air quality and has served as a scientific advisor to the U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture on air quality issues.

Lada Kochtcheeva:

Lada Kochtcheeva is an assistant professor of political science at NC State, her research focuses on environmental policy

One of the most important challenges facing domestic and international policy is resolving the complex relationship between globalization and the environment. Globalization impacts the environment in multiple ways, and the global economic crisis has sharpened many conflicting arguments regarding: the nature and consequences of globalization; the character of environmental transformation; and the linkages between global economic and political processes and domestic environmental responses. Is globalization a sign of progress, increased wealth, policy innovations and environmental solutions? Or is it an agent and force of environmental degradation, instability and poor policies? No single conception of the relation between globalization and environment can be entirely unambiguous, unbiased and everlasting. All facets of globalization influence human development and, through it, the natural environment. The goal is to trace the main linkages between globalization and the environment through institutional, technology/product, policy and societal effects. Globalization accelerates structural and institutional change, thus altering the industrial and policy structures of countries, as well as resource use and environmental degradation levels. Yet it may also generate pressures for reform, creating opportunities for attracting international interest. – Kochtcheeva is an assistant professor of political science at NC State, and author of Comparative Environmental Regulation in the United States and Russia: Institutions, Flexible Instruments, and Governance. Her research focuses on environmental policy.

Derek Aday:

Aday is an assistant professor of biology at NC State whose work focuses on fisheries, ecology and aquatic science

I think one of the biggest research challenges is how we’ll deal with a global population that is increasing in number and affluence. Human population growth underpins all of the environmental challenges that headline daily news, including global climate change, habitat modification that leads to loss of biodiversity, food and water scarcity, and the accumulation of air and water contaminants. Increasing affluence of the global population exacerbates those issues, particularly in relation to demand for natural resources. The research challenge in all of this is how to go about asking the right questions, prioritizing approaches and synthesizing answers at a pace commensurate with a rapidly changing environment. – Aday is an assistant professor of biology at NC State whose work focuses on fisheries, ecology and aquatic science.

Whiton may have missed the bus, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to turn a problem into a solution. His brainchild, an online tool called TransLoc, lets transit riders track buses in real time on their laptops, smart phones or other handheld devices.

“People can go from having a half-hour wait for the bus to a 30-second or one-minute wait because they can see the vehicle coming down the road virtually,” Whiton says.

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Here’s how they roll.

Ticket to Zimride

Sharing a ride to work is a fast way to cut expenses — if you can find the right carpool buddy. That’s the idea behind Zimride, an online carpooling service that uses social networking tools to match riders and drivers. You can make a carpool connection for the daily commute, an upcoming road trip or a special event.

Zimride is free to NC State faculty, staff and students. To use the service, log in using your unity id and password. You can even link up to your Facebook account to find more potential ride connections.

Reroute with Zipcar

Rising gas prices have accelerated the interest in carpooling and public transit. But one of the main barriers is the fear of being stranded if there’s an emergency at home during the day. That’s where NC State’s new Zipcar program, launched last week on the Brickyard, could come in handy.

Faculty, staff and students who are paid members can rent Prius hybrids and Scion XB crossovers for personal use at an hourly rate. Two cars are parked in the Dan Allen carriageway near the Cates/Dan Allen intersection and two are parked on Dunn Avenue in front of the Coliseum parking deck. The $8-per-hour member rate includes gas, insurance and roadside assistance.

Join before March 1 and you’ll receive $45 in free driving credits to use in your first month. The promotional code for the discount is backtoschool2011.

Graduate to a Two-Wheeler

The WolfWheels program offers bicycles for rent by the day, week or semester.

Soon, the spring days will make it more appealing to ride a bike across campus. Harness the power of you through the WolfWheels bicycle rental program.

Faculty, staff and students with a valid campus ID can rent a bike by the day, week or semester through Campus Recreation. The package deal includes a helmet, lock and maintenance.

Take a Ride on the Wolfline

The wheels on the Wolfline buses are still going round and round. And there’s a new feature to keep you from missing the bus. You can view estimated arrival times through the TransLoc site, which tracks buses in real time. If you see that the bus to Carmichael Gym is expected in 11 minutes, you’ll have plenty of time to grab your workout gear and head to the bus stop.

Sign up for Parking Perks

Transportation offers commuter parking benefits for those who choose to walk or bike to work, use public transit, carpool or vanpool. All you have to do is fill out a WolfTrails application. As a participant, you’ll receive free daily parking permits on days when you’re unable to follow your normal green routine and for special occasions when you aren’t able to ride with your usual carpool or vanpool partners.

In hopes of transforming his 60-year-old company, Michigan native Robert Allen began a search for the nation’s top photovoltaics training program. He soon found the NC Solar Center’s Renewable Energy Technologies Diploma Series, and traveled to North Carolina for the weeklong workshop.

“Robert was very interested in learning how the whole system works and wanted to know everything about proper installation, module efficiencies, system design and cost,” said photovoltaics instructor David Del Vecchio, who immediately recognized the businessman President Obama referenced as the same student who sat in the first row of his class, asking all the right questions.

With the help of an investment from the Recovery Act and training received at the Solar Center, Allen was able to upgrade his manufacturing business and expand it from a roofing facility into one that produces solar shingles. This, the president stated, is what Americans have been doing for more 200 years – reinventing themselves.

“Our models were built to accommodate the largest range of solar projects possible in an effort to decrease the cost of doing business for all solar companies across North Carolina as [the NC Solar Center] worked to grow the state’s green economy,” solar financial tools instructor Wade Fulghum said. “Robert was a standout in the class – he asked tough questions that were directly rooted in real world project payback

“I could tell that his questions were born out of building industry experience, and he put our financial modeling tools to the test.”

Created in 1988, the Solar Center – as part of NC State’s College of Engineering – works closely with state and local government and the renewable energy industry. It manages and maintains the NCSU Solar House and serves as a resource for innovative, green energy technologies through research and demonstration, technical assistance, education, outreach and training.

It also administers the Database of Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), a resource providing financial incentives and policies.

NC State is one of 16 universities participating in the three-year EcoCAR competition, sponsored by the Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, and General Motors.

Students spent the first year designing their vehicle’s drive train and battery system, using computer simulations to refine their efforts. This year, hands-on work took center stage, as the team ripped apart a donated Saturn Vue, installed both a high-voltage battery and small diesel engine, and got the refurbished SUV on the road.

In the final year, they will focus on optimizing all systems, from computer controls to emissions, and on outreach efforts to extol energy efficiency.

NC State’s team poses with its retrofitted SUV at General Motors’ Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, where all SUVs in the EcoCAR Challenge underwent rigorous testing.

“The competition really prepares our students to become the next generation of automotive engineers,” said Terry Gilbert, an MAE faculty member and EcoCAR team adviser.

Team members chose to build a battery-powered car — the diesel engine drives a generator to recharge the battery — because it offered the best combination of low emissions and ability to handle distance driving.

“We’re taking a pragmatic approach to everything,” said Seyam, who’s been fascinated by automotive electronics since childhood and who helped write the proposal a few years ago that got NC State into the competition. In another pragmatic move to reduce the vehicle’s weight, the team used composite materials instead of a metal box to house the battery in the back of the SUV.

The team’s safety precautions for working with high-voltage batteries have so impressed EcoCAR organizers that they ordered all other competitors to follow NC State’s lead.

“Safety is important in the competition, and the finished vehicle is supposed to be consumer-ready,” said Harder, who joined the team because he wanted to work with green technologies.

Joslin, who signed up because he had experience with the software to design the control systems, says team members have confronted issues in a range of engineering disciplines, all of which prepare them better for their future careers.

“After running so many simulations,” he said, “it’s nice to see the car actually work and to be able to drive it around.”

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the “Transportation Technologies” (Summer 2010) issue of Results: Research at NC State University, published three times yearly by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.